Friday, May 29, 2015

Cobo won this bottle at an auction and sent me a sample. The bottle's personalized label reads: "The whisky in this bottle was distilled at the Knockando Distillery during 1979. It was drawn from cask and specially bottled to commemorate the 50th Birthday of George 12th December 2003." We don't know who George is other than a very lucky individual. Hopefully there were other bottles and George was able to enjoy them. But I'm seeing a water stain on the label and now I'm wondering if something terrible happened to George. Like a flood or sobriety. George is a great guy. Give him a break, God. ;-)

The color is light gold. The nose is big on florals (blossoms and soap) and is very delicate. Dust, cotton, fuji apple skins, honey, and lemons right from the tree. Whipped honey butter and cantaloupes. Hints of grapefruit and the ocean. The palate starts of musty, like a much older bottle. Then there's apple juice, vanilla beans, and burnt toffee. A slight note of industrial plastics, another of carpet. But overall it grows sweeter and spicier with time. The moderate length finish has the apple juice and vanilla beans as well. Though it's more like vanilla meringue here. Bit of the carpet fiber note too. Like the palate, it also gains spices and sweetness with time.

This is a fragile-feeling whisky whose nose seems like its about to float right off its face. The nose is quite pretty (and I would say "feminine" if that didn't make the oceans seethe) with its flowers, fruit peels, and honey (again!). The palate is mild and gentle as well, though its charms escaped me quicker than those of the nose. Still, this is a heck of a thing to be reviewing and I'm very thankful to have had the opportunity to do so. Thank you, Cobo!

4 comments:

Interesting notes mate... I would always prefer this bottling over the one from yesterday. I would say it's not a masterpiece, but would consider it an old-style malt with those classic dampered malty notes and sweetness to make it a perfect digestive. Now that my wife liked it alot I agree on the feminine side of it as well :DGlad you liked it and I guess it shows Knockandos qualities quite well - delivering a stable quality without asking to be the center of attention.

I love all the barley in these Knockandos (old and new). I wish producers still believed in this sort of whisky, rather than the peat-forward and oak-forward and gimmick-forward stuff that has completely taken over the market.